Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Are you a neat freak? Many people realize their electronic equipment is getting dirty, but hesitate to do any cleaning because they are afraid of causing damage. If you’ve been dying to know the proper way to clean your computer, the mouse, keyboard, and monitor (and really, who hasn’t?), you will appreciate these tips that help you (safely) keep things clean and sparkly.

How to Clean Your Keyboard

Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it. Most of the crumbs (who’s been eating crackers at my keyboard?), dust, and debris will fall out. Take a can of compressed air and blow into and around the keys. Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of the keys. Rub the tops of the keys. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care to not drip liquid in the spaces between the keys.

How to Clean Your Mouse

For optical mice, rub the top and bottom of your mouse with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. If you have a ball mouse, open the back and remove the ball. Wash the ball with water and let it air dry. To clean inside the mouse, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub all of the components. Scrape hard to remove grime with your fingernail. If you want to go really overboard, try the washable mouse.

How to Clean Your Monitor

Never use a cleaning agent like Windex on your monitor. Cleaners like that often contain ammonia, which can damage your display. A slightly damp, lint-free cloth, like the ones that come with eyeglasses, or a microfiber cloth is better. Never use paper towels! To clean streaks, first use a damp cloth and then use a dry one. Lightly moisten the cloth with either water or a commercial cleaner, which you can buy at office supply stores, like Staples or Office Depot. Often, LCD cleaners are just a mix of 50/50 isopropyl alcohol/water, so, if need be, you can mix that yourself. Never to spray any liquid directly at your screen – just moisten the cloth lightly.

How to Clean Your Computer

You may need to use a screwdriver to remove the side of the case that’s opposite your motherboard, but these days, many cases don’t require tools to open. Modern cases often have easy access side panels. Check your computer manufacturer’s website for more info on how to open the case for your particular model. When opening the case, touch as little as possible inside the computer, while keeping your fingers away from cards and cords. Using a can of compressed air, blow air around all of the components and along the bottom of the case, keeping the nozzle four inches away from the machine. Blow air into the power supply box and into the fan (from the back of the case). Lastly, blow air into the floppy disk and CD drives. Wipe the inside of the cover with a lightly moistened cloth before replacing it. Doing this every three months is recommended if your case sits on the floor, if you have pets that shed, or if you smoke. Otherwise, every six to eight months is fine. To clean the outside of the case, run a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol around all of the openings on the back of your case. Give them one swipe with the damp end of the swab and one swipe with the dry end. Do this as often as you clean the inside of your computer.

Tips collated from the web and Microsoft at Home; Get more tech tips and news at www.sarahintampa.com

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